Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on the second day of her Delhi trip, met Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday, 28 July, amid the possibility of a united Opposition being formed ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was also present at the meeting.
After the meeting, Banerjee said, "Sonia ji invited me for tea, Rahul ji was also there. We discussed the political situation in general, Pegasus, and the COVID situation. We also discussed the unity of Opposition. It was a very good meeting", news agency ANI reported.
She was further quoted as saying, "It is essential for everyone to come together in order to defeat BJP. Alone, I am nothing; everyone will have to work together. I am not a leader, I am a cadre. I am a person from the street."
Later in the evening, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal arrived at the residence of TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee to meet Mamata Banerjee.
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(Photo: Accessed by The Quint)
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After meeting Banerjee, CM Kejriwal also posted on Twitter, saying that he conveyed his best wishes to her.
Earlier during the day, Banerjee had made a barrage of attacks to the Narendra Modi-led government.
She said, "Narendra Modi was popular in 2019. Today, they have not kept a record of the bodies (victims of COVID-19), last rites were denied, and bodies were thrown in river Ganga. Those who lost their loved ones will not forget and forgive," news agency ANI reported.
Further, targetting Modi's signature 'achhe din' promise, Banerjee said, "We want to see 'sacche din' (truthful days), saw enough of 'achhe din' (good days)."
She also hinted at TMC's national expansion plans saying, "Poore desh mein khela hoga. It’s a continuous process. When General Elections come (2024), it will be Modi vs the country."
Referring to a united Opposition, Banerjee was further quoted as saying, "Sonia Gandhi also wants the unity of the Opposition. Congress trusts the regional parties and regional parties trust Congress."
'If One Phone is Hacked, All Are Hacked': CM Banerjee
Though the West Bengal chief minister skipped the Opposition meeting about the Pegasus surveillance controversy, referring to the same, she said, the “situation is very serious, more serious than Emergency”, news agency PTI reported.
Later, at a press conference, Banerjee said, "All political parties in the Opposition must work together. We will all sit together and work something out," NDTV reported.
On being asked about who will lead the united Opposition, the Bengal chief minister said, "I am not a political astrologer, depends on the situation,” PTI reported.
She added that she has no problem if someone else leads. “I am a simple worker, want to continue as a worker,” she said.
Banerjee’s nephew, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Abhishek Banerjee, was earlier identified as part of the list of potential surveillance targets.
Earlier, Banerjee had claimed that her phone has also been hacked and she has been unable to speak to anyone.
Further, Banerjee said on Wednesday, "Even if I'm not on Pegasus, if I speak to Abhishek Banerjee, or PK (election strategist Prashant Kishor) it is hacked. If one phone is hacked, all are hacked," NDTV reported.
Banerjee stressed, "Why is the government not replying to the Pegasus issue? People want to know. If policy decisions are not made in Parliament, if discussions are not held there, where will it take place? This is not done at tea stalls, this is done in the Parliament", ANI reported.
Congress's Rahul Gandhi, who was also identified as a potential surveillance target, had said at Wednesday's Opposition meeting, "The entire Opposition is here... our voice is being curtailed in the Parliament. We are only asking if the Pegasus software was bought and if it was used against certain persons in India," NTDV reported.
'Black Money Is Only With People Who Oppose You': CM Banerjee
Referring to the I-PAC members in Agartala, Banerjee said, "We sent some of our people to Tripura where they had been put under house arrest."
The team was in the state doing groundwork for the Trinamool Congress (TMC) ahead of the 2023 state Assembly elections.
Banerjee added, "BJP is a very healthy party. Opposition will be stronger, it will create history... this is our hope for 2024," ANI reported.
Asserting that "things change in politics", Banerjee said, "When the political storm comes, situation becomes difficult to handle."
Meanwhile, Banerjee's meeting with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is scheduled for Thursday, 29 July.
(With inputs from PTI and NDTV)
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